Deaths linked to heart drugs - Sunday Times - Times Online: "Deaths linked to heart drugs
(Recommended by Maria Inês Reinert Azambuja)
Lois Rogers, Medical Editor
EXPERTS are calling for a complete safety review of heart drugs taken by millions of Britons. Government figures released last week show that 92 deaths have been linked to the statin drugs developed to lower cholesterol.
It is believed that the death toll could be higher because doctors are reluctant to blame drugs they prescribe for harming patients.
More than 37 of the deaths were attributed to a formulation called simvastatin which is now being sold over the counter in low doses under the brand name Zocor.
Many specialists are concerned that the drug, produced by Merck, should be available without a prescription. A statin called Lipitor, made by Pfizer, was associated with 36 of the deaths."
1 comment:
é incrivel como noticias desse tipo ganham a midia.
sou um cardiologista clinico sem interesse em defender ou atacar a industria.
Me lembro q no final de 2003 houve um congresso com repercussao mundial em alusão aos 10 anos de uso clinico das estatinas, no qual foram destacadas a eficácia e a segurança delas alé de ressalterem os efeitos pleotróficos adicionais. Na mesma ocasiao, tais achados justificaram seu uso em criança.
Como é que agora aparecem dados isolados dizendo q tais drogas estão "matando" mais do que tratando?
Luciano Loos
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